Each and every Volkswagen Golf to date has been flanked by a hot GTI version, with the current car pumping out as much as bhp in flagship Clubsport form. The Mk8 will be no different, and the GTI is likely to feature a new 2. The new hot Golf, which is due shortly after the standard car, in , will get a significant power hike, with even the entry-level model producing in the region of bhp. There will be a more powerful Performance Pack car with bhp, as well as an evolution of the Clubsport version with bhp. Yet expect all the usual sporty styling cues — like the beefed-up bumpers and red detailing, along with the trademark tartan seats. Image 2 of

The automotive world is highly competitive, and that competition works in our favor because it drives change. Automakers are expected to offer fairly frequent updates, which makes a sort of sense. The Volkswagen Golf is on its seventh generation and last received a complete redesign for the model year. A facelift might seem quick, but keep in mind that the model was redesigned a full two years earlier in the European market. We know the focus for many is on gesture controls and other technologies, but performance is appealing to us too. This year, the Golf GTI received a new Sport trim, which gained all the Performance package features and made so only the base trim lacks the larger vented disc brakes, VAQ limited-slip differential and extra horsepower boost. This distinction matters because the Euro-spec GTI earns a horsepower increase, but the base trim scoops up 17 extra horses hp over the current S trim, while all performance models jump up to horsepower.

With Ford already working on a new-generation Focus ST, which will be significantly more powerful than the current Golf GTI, Volkswagen needs to roll out a new hatchback really soon. Fortunately, the Germans are already testing the next-generation Golf GTI, which is rumored to break cover sometime in Not much is known about the upcoming performance hatchback, but it should borrow many design features seen on recently introduced Volkswagen models, including the sporty Arteon sedan. The company also promises a revolution inside the cabin, including a "total digital environment," according to design chief Klaus Bischoff. Check out the latest spy shots and what we know in the Spy Shots section below. The interior will receive a full makeover and should go all-digital, but the overall appearance of the Golf will change very little as is the usual case with the past few generations.